Writing-machine for the blind



(No Model.)"

J. P. MQELROY. WRITING MACHINE FOR THE BLIND. No. 389,756. Patented Sept. 18, 1888..

- Jn'ven Far. Jllml: V Jinan-f. M 167w.

WW. 1"; m3;

n vnens. Photn-Lithagnpher. Waihingmm 0.

' UNIT D STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

JAMES F. MQELEOY, OF LANSING, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN PRINTING HOUSE FOR THE BLIND, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

WRITING-MACHINE FOR THE BLIND.

EPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 389.756, dated September 18, 1888.

Application filed February 17, 1887. Serial No. 227,886. No model.)

provements in writing'maohines for the blind,

and it consists in the peculiar combinations and the novel construction, arrangement, and adaptation of parts, all as more fully hereininafter described and claimed.

In the drawings which accompany this specification, Figure l is a perspective view of my writing-machine. perspective view of the carriage with the front portion of its casing removed. Fig. 3 is a diagram elevation of the carriage,illustrating the operation of its feed movement. Fig. 4 is a diagram plan of the carriage, showing certain parts of its feed movement. Fig. 5 is a crosssection of the table through the paper-feed on line m .70 in Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a section on line yyin Fig. 5. Fig. 7 isa vertical section through the embossing-dies and the bed.

A is a table supporting near its front end the feed-rack B, which is elevated above the table and forms a guide-rail for the carriage C, which is thereon supported clear of thetable. This carriage carries four finger-keys,l) E F G, the

three first ones being arranged in a row on top of the frame or casing of the carriage and the latter at the left.

H is a key-lever actuated by the finger-key D, and is a similar keylever actuated by the key-lever E. These key-levers are fulcrumed at a within the casing of the carriage,and each has a vertically-operating plunger-die, K, piv- 'otally secured to it, all so arranged that by depressing the finger-keys l) E the plunger-dies are downwardly projected through the bottom of the casing and again retracted by suitable retracting springs,L,as soon as the pressure is removed. The plunger-diesK pass through a guide slot, b,in the bottom of the casing,and each has a projecting shoulder'or lug, 0, arranged to engage with corresponding lugs or shouldered, on the feed-lever M, whereby the latter is actuated by the plunger-dies for the Fig. 2 is an enlarged purpose of feeding the carriage,as hereinafter described. The lower ends or faces of the plunger-dies are sunk to form intaglio points, (see Fig. 7,) and underneath the carriage is secured a stationary bed-plate,N,which has corresponding cameo points, all so arranged that if a sheet of paper is placed over the bed-plate N embossed points are produced on the paper by the action of the plunger-dies.

The feed of the carriage is arranged as follows: A cord or chain,O, attached to the carriage, passes to a spring-roller, I, which has sufficient force to draw the carriage by the tension of its spring toward the right-hand end of the feedrack. The feed-lever M is pivotally secured at j. Its freeend projects through a slot, Z, in the casing and is provided with the finger-key G. The finger-key F has a downwardly-projecting stem, m, which has a shoulder, a, loosely engaging-with a lug, 0, on the feed-lever. Two stop-pins, it, are secured to the feed-lever and project from the front, and a pin or tooth, i to rear face thereof, as shown in Fig. 4, and between these stop-pins is pivotally secured at f the oscillating feed-pawl Q, which carries the locking-pin g at its lower end. The feed-pawl has a squared top,against which bears the free end of the hinged arm or lever B, with the tension of small coil-spring h, all so arranged that the feed-pawl has a tendency to assume a normal position midway between the stops 2' i, as shown in Fig. 3.

In practice the pin g of the feedpawl in the normal position of the feed-lever shown in Fig. 2 engages between the teeth of the feed-rack, and the pulling force of the springroller P oscillates the feed pawl into contact with the stop-pin z, and the carriage is thereby locked into position. Now, if any one of the finger-keys D E F is depressed, the feed-lever M is sufficiently depressedto disengage the pin 9 of the feed-pawl from the feedrack, and the feed-pawl immediately assumes its normal position midway between the stoppins'i '5. At the same time that the pin 9 is disengaged from the feed-rack the tooth 2",which heretofore was not in engagement with the feed rack, becomes engaged therewith. If the pressure on the actuating finger-key is now released, the retracting-spring T of the feedlever immediately raises that lever and engages the pin 9 of the feed-pawl again into engagement with the feed-rack, said engagement IOC being, however, one step farther to the right, and the carriage is thus free to travel to the right until the feed-pawl is again brought in contact with the pin If the carriage is pulled the opposite way, either by transpos' ing the spring-roller P to the left or bya suitable pressure applied by the operator, the carriage will travel to the left in the same way, the pin t" performing in that case the function of the pin 2'. Thus at every actuation of one of the keys D E an embossed point is formed upon a sheet of paper placed underneath the carriage, being fed at the same time the distance of one tooth to the right or left, as the case may be. If both keys D and E are simultaneously depressed,two embossed points will be formed at the same time, one above the other, and the carriage will feed but one step. With the proper use of the spacing-key F it is evident that writing in embossed points after the system above described may be easily executed. If the carriage has to be returned to commence a new line, the operator uses the finger-key G, by means of which a sufliciently large depression of the feed-lever M is obtained to carry the pin i as well as the pin g,entirely clear of the feed-rack,and thereby permits of drawing the carriage along the feed-rack to any desired point.

For feeding the paper and holding it in proper alignment while writing, I provide the table with an endless belt, U, passing over sprocket-wheels V, one of which is provided with a suitable hand-wheel, NV. The belt has a series of sharp pins, p, so arranged that the paper may be engaged therewith near the edge, and by turning the hand-wheel the paper will be carried across the table.

A hinged cleat, VJ, which has a groove, 1', on its under side to clear the pins 1), is secured to a guide on the table above the belt, so as to hold the paper in engagement with the pins when folded down and permit its convenient removal when turned up.

z is a suitable button for holding the eleat in the position shown in Fig. l.

Near the front edge of the table is secured a scale, S, underneath which the paper is introduced, and which,in connection with a pointer, a, on the carriage, permits of adjusting the carriage.

The bed'plate N is of metal, and is provided with the requisite number of relief-points to print embossed points at any position of the carriage. It is evident, however, that the mere form of the character is immaterial, and therefore, if desired, the machine maybe constructed to emboss any other suitable character on the paper. The machine may also be adapted for use with any other system of printing for the blind based on a similar system, wherein the letters of the alphabet are formed by the use of the same character, but variously combined and grouped.

\V hat I claim as my invention is 1. In a writing-machine, key levers pivoted at one end in the moving carriage, verticallymovable embossing-dies pivoted at one end to said levers in a carriage having a step-by-step feed, and a series of stationary embossing beddies arranged to register step by step with the plunger-dies, substantially as described.

2. In a writing machine, two key-levers pivoted at one end in a carriage, vertically-movable embossing-dies pivoted at one end to said levers in a carriage in front and rear of each other, a step-by-step feed movement for feeding the carriage by the actuation of said dies, and two line-series of stationary embossing bed-dies corresponding with and in the line of travel with the movable embossing-dies, substantially as described.

3. Ina writing-machine, the combination of a table, a feed-rack arranged above said table, a carriage supported by said feed-rack and having a step-by-step feed movement thereon, vertically-movable embossing-dies adjusted in said carriage, a feed-lever operated by said dies, and a series of corresponding stationary embossing-dies secured on the table in the line of travel of the carriage, substantially as described.

4. In a writing-machine, the combination, with the table, of the endless belt provided with pins p, sprocket-wheels, and a handwheel for operating said belt, and a grooved hinged cleat, Z, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

5. In combination with the feed-rack, the carriage supported by said rack, the feedlever pivoted at one end in said carriage, the feed-pawl pivoted to said feed-lever and provided with a pin engaging said rack, the vertically-movable embossing-dies adjusted in said carriage and having finger-keys for actuating the dies and the feed-lever, the spacing finger-key for actuating the feed-lever, the finger-key for disengaging the feed-lever from the feed-rack, and the cord and winding-roll for drawing the carriage, substantially as de scribed.

6. The combination, of the feed-rack B, the carriage C, the cord 0, the winding-roll P, the feed-lever W, having finger-key Gr, stop-pin i, and pin or tooth i the oscillating feed-pawl Q, having pin 9, the arm R and spring h, the spacing-key F, the embossing-dies K K, having shoulders c c, the lugs d on the feed-lever, the finger-keys D E of the embossing-dies, and the retracting-springs L L T, all substantially as described.

7. The combination of the feed-rack B, the carriage U, the feed-lever M, having tooth or pin '5 and stop-pin i, the oscillating feed-pawl Q, having pin 9, the lever B and spring h, and the drawing-cord 0, all arranged substantially as described.

JAMES F. MOELROY.

Witnesses:

LUTHER T. ANDERSON, L. G. BUTLER. 

